1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors, particularly matable pin and socket electrical connectors. More particularly, this invention relates to electrical connector using a separate spring band to establish an interconnection to mating male and female contact terminals. This invention also particularly relates to sealed electrical connectors and also to electrical connectors employing secondary locking features.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disconnectable electrical connectors commonly employ either stamped and formed contact terminals or screw machined contact terminals. Stamped and formed contact terminals are generally formed by stamping a blank from a flat electrically conductive spring metal and then forming that terminal into a mating configuration. Screw machined connectors on the other hand, are generally formed by machining a solid metal member formed of an electrically conductive material into an appropriate terminal shape. Resilient contact elements or contact bands are often used with screw machined contact members to establish a spring loaded interface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,706 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,253 disclose jack and plug contacts with employ a separate spring metal band to form both an electrical and mechanical interconnection. Spring metal contact bands suitable for use in disconnectable electrical joint and connectors are discussed in a publication entitled "Guide to Multiple Contact Band Technology" published in January 1988 by Hugin Industries Incorporated.
The most common technique of fabricating pin and socket connectors is to employ stamped and formed contact terminals. Typical pin and socket contact terminals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,662. As shown in that patent, typical pin and socket connectors can have a plurality of stamped and formed pin or socket terminals mounted within a molded insulative housing. The pin and socket terminals shown in that patent are held in position within the contact housing by snapping a rear locking member into place That connector shows the use of resilient latching fingers on the rear loaded locking member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,331 discloses the use of resilient plastic locking members formed as part of an electrical connector housing. Other examples of such rear locking members are U.S Pat. No. 4,660,915, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,251 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,704. Such rear loaded secondary locks are quite satisfactory in unsealed connector applications. However, in sealed connectors such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,350, conductor seals placed at the rear of an insulative housing limit access from the rear, making it difficult to use a rear loaded secondary lock. U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,190 shows one sealed connector employing a secondary or auxiliary locking member which is loaded from the side. However, the insulative bodies in which these auxiliary locking combs are mounted must be positioned within a outer shroud, and these auxiliary locking combs are positioned on the interior of the sealing envelope.